Why Snorers, Especially Those Who Can't Sleep Well, Need Help

According to statistics, approximately one-third of all couples can't sleep well because one member of the relationship snores loudly. The impacts this has on the relationship can be devastating, considering how ample rest is needed to feel energized and positive in the morning. On the contrary, if an individual can't get enough shut-eye at night, he or she tends to feel exhausted and cranky the next day.

A common underlying cause for snoring is a sleep disorder known as Obstructive Sleep Apnoea (OSA) – this condition is described as a blockage of the airways, which in turn causes the victim to stop breathing repeatedly as he or she slumbers.

This bodily malfunction is generally associated with being overweight. In the UK alone, it's estimated that two to four percent of the entire country's population suffer from OSA. Amongst the large number of people suffering from the ailment, only ten to twenty percent of the sufferers actually seek medical attention.

However, considering the nature of the ailment, there is a universal remedy that works well for everyone who can't sleep well at night because of OSA, which is: weight loss. PhylissMurphie, a respiratory nurse consultant at DGRI's Sleep and Medicine Clinic says: “The key factor we find for lack of sleep is body mass. It’s directly related to a patient’s lack of sleep. The best advice we can give people is to lose weight.”

To deal with this sleep disorder, adopting a healthy diet plan that's low in calories, with a substantially reduced amount of elements detrimental to human health, would definitely help. Eating less and healthier should also be coupled with regular exercise to maximize the time allotted for eliminating those excess pounds.

Of course, moving from a fat-filled diet to a significantly smaller dietary plan, as well as engaging strenuous, regular exercise can be difficult for many. Furthermore, attacks launched by the sleep disorder won't be taken out of the picture right away for those who do adopt a better diet plan and workout frequently.

“Snoring is socially disruptive and if it’s keeping a partner or neighbours awake then it’s definitely something we can help with,” said Murphie. “The issues we see are the same as throughout Scotland. There are other factors that come into play as well such as anomalies in people’s throats and noses.”

In some severe cases, individuals who still can't sleep well (because of OSA) will need to consult a doctor to have special sleeping aids prescribed. A popular slumbering aid that helps clear the airways as the patient sleeps is known as the Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine.